The Sandwich Story

The Power of a Sandwich

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Lance® has been making sandwiches for Over 100 years because they know sandwiches mean more. sandwiches mean more substance to power you through the morning, day and night. Sandwiches mean more flavors. sandwiches mean more “real.” They are not some invented snack. They are tried and true. Sandwiches mean more because they are more.

We celebrate the power of the sandwich. We revel in its form. Owning this celebration of the sandwich form elevates us above the snacking crowd into a place that is more befitting, more sandwich-worthy. You see, we don’t look at a sandwich as two pieces of something, with another kind of thing in the middle. No. at Lance® a sandwich is two awesomes with an incredible in the middle.

Our Sandwich Makers

  • 1913

    Philip L. Lance, a Charlotte food broker, gets stuck with 500 pounds of raw peanuts. Instead of backing out of his deal, Lance has a revelation: roast and sell the nuts for a nickel a bag. The freshly roasted peanuts were an immediate success and Lance was inspired to expand his line to include peanut butter.

  • 1915

    Lance’s son-in-law, Salem Van Every, becomes a partner. Around this time, Lance’s wife Mary, and their two daughters spread Lance’s peanut butter between two crackers and the now famous peanut butter cracker sandwich was born.

  • 1922

    The Lance sales force grows from a single salesman, James H. Wilson, to a team of 11 men handling sales in the Carolinas.

  • 1926

    Salem Van Every takes control of the business and the company officially comes Lance Packaging Company.

  • 1935

    Despite the nation’s virtually paralyzed economy during the Depression, Lance continues to grow and prosper, recording its first million-dollar sales year.

  • 1938

    A classic is born. Lance begins baking its own crackers and soon after, introduces Toastchee.

  • 1954

    Hello Snack Machines. The first Lance vending machine is placed on location, replacing the earlier “honor system” coin boxes.

  • 1960

    It’s a snacking success. By this time, Lance products are sold in 24 states and annual sales volume nears $26 million. Also growing is the extensive Lance product line.

  • Mid-1980s

    Lance on Aisle 3. Lance adds grocery stores to its distribution process with the introduction of the Home Pack, specifically packaged products designed for supermarket sales.

  • 1987

    Lance introduces it’s Helping You Snack right low-fat, low-cholesterol snack line to promote healthier lifestyles for customers.

  • 1990

    Adapting to change. Lance continues to adapt to new technology, a changing business environment and changing consumer tastes, resulting in improved operating efficiencies, greater innovation and exciting new factors.

  • 2004

    Lance eliminates trans fats from its products.

  • 2009

    Snacking Right. Lance adds whole grain cracker sandwiches and 100 calories packs to its product line.

  • 2013

    100 years of snacking. For the past century, Lance has been fueling families across the country with delicious and innovative snacks made with what you love.

  • 2014

    Home Run Fuel! As the official cracker sandwich of Little League Baseball and Softball, Lance is inspiring and fueling kids on and off the field.